Software for and by the Blind

1
Software for and by the Blind

• Arun Mehta
• Professor, JMIT Radaur

2
What is Disability?

• The absence of an ability
• As many disabilities as there are abilities
• Consequently, we are all disabled in almost every
  conceivable way
• Our definition is dynamic education and
  technology both create new abilities

3
The blind are best at developing technology for
the blind

• Ted Henter, Jaws
• TV Raman, emacspeak
• Satveer Singh, Hindi Braille editor
• NAB, SAFA, Daisy
• But where do the blind go to become developers?

4
Technology for the Blind is not just for the blind

• The blind and the illiterate are both print
  disabled technology for the one also works for
  the other
• When you cannot look at the screen, e.g. while
  driving, for the software you are blind
• Therefore, technology for the blind has huge
  market potential

5
Technologies of particular interst to the blind

• Radio
• FM, community radio
• Mobile phones, with camera and GPS
• Mesh networks
• GNU Radio
• TTS

6
Proposal

• An institute that imparts IT skills by creating
  products and services for the blind
• Uses distance learning (more natural for the
  blind) to bring in international teachers and
  students, and automatically produce courseware
• Students grow up in FLOSS culture
• Studies and promotes the impact of technology in
  the lives of the blind

7
Replication

• Blur distinction between teacher and student the
  more advanced teach the less (the best way to
  learn something is to teach it)
• Teach the students how to run such an institute
  themselves, by running this one. This saves
  costs, and teaches our students a marketable,
  entrepreneurial skill